Obstetrical device.



Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

m N R A B Tu- E OBSTBTRIGAL DEVICE APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1908. 940,576.

omen STATES 'PATNl carton HENRY J. BARNES, OF GUNTER, TEXAS.

OBSTETBICAL DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

ie it known that I, HENRY J. BARNES, a citizen of the United States, resident in Gunter, in the county of Grayson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Tn'iprovements in Obstetrical Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the reference cha "acters marked thereon, and to enable others skilled in the art to which said invention belongs I will now describe the same.

My invention relates to improvements in what may be termed obstetrical devices, being adapted to aid the female in labor and materially increase the effect of bearing down pains, resulting in reducing the period of labor accordingly saving the patient from the wearying action of a protracted labor.

It consists of certain instrumentalities or features substantially as hereinafter fully disclosed and defined by the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, disclosing the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view thereof. Fig. 2 is a detached or detailed perspective view showing more fully one of the hand-holds or loops.

In carrying out my invention, I provide duplicate knee-receiving members 1, accordingly each being adapted in outline to conform and to receive those portions of the limbs when the body of the patient is in a reclining position flat upon her back with the feet resting upon the bed and the knees elevated or upraised, as will be readily understood. These knee-receiving members, in order to provide for the reception of the knees and for securing effective engagement therewith, are each formed preferably of two steel strap-like portions 2 and 3, outwardly curved or bowed from each other and laterally and downwardly flared, the same being preferably riveted together as at 4 at the inner ends of their curved surfaces and suitably connected together at the outer ends of said curved surfaces; this last connection being preferably eifected by passing therethrough the shanks of hand-holds or loops 5, more fully described later. These knee-receiving members have their steel forming strap-like portions suitably padded upon their inner surfaces as at 6, with some Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 14, 1908.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Serial No. 432,952.

suitable soft material, to provide for the comfort of the user.

Each hand-hold or loop 5, in addition to being suitably shaped to provide for the ready reception of the hand and the convenient engagement thereof by the latter, has also a shank-portion 7 forming an ex tension of, and outstanding from the handheld or loop, said shank itself having a right-angled extension or portion 8. "he inner arm of the thus formed angle 8 passes through registering holes in the strap-like portions of the knee-receiving members in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal plane of the hand-hold or loop. The other arm or terminal of said angle, standing at right-angles to the aforesaid arm thereof, is adapted to laterally engage the outer end extension of one of the strap-like portions of each of the knee-receiving members and thus extend in the trend or longitudinal axis of the last mentioned, whereby the hand-holds or loops 5 will maintain a position in a plane about parallel to said axis. This provides, when said hand-holds or loops are suitably manipulated by the downward grasping or pulling action of the patient or user of the appliance (the latter being in initial position upon the patients knees) for the application of downward pressure upon said members, which it is obvious, will afford the latter the requisite purchase thereon in opposition to the stress or pull exerted by the patient upon said hand-holds as when exercised in her endeavor to relax the muscles during labor and whereby she may be aided in shortening the period of labor and accordingly saved from the wearying action of a protracted labor, as will be understood.

The knee-receiving members are suitably yoked together for simultaneous action by forming one straplike portion of each of the same from t, with an extension as 9, the extensions being lapped one upon the other and provided with longitudinal slots 10 receiving a preferably thumb-nut equipped screw-bolt 11, the nut being designated as 12. This arrangement also permits of the ready adjustment or accommodation of the appliance according to local conditions, which may arise in suitably applying the device for use.

It will be noted that, when it may be desired to straighten the limbs, the knees may be readily Withdrawn from the knee-receiving members, it only being necessary for the patient to relax stress or pull upon the latter to allow the requisite movement of the limbs for that purpose.

I claim 1. A device of the character described, comprising inflexible knee-receiving members, means for yoking together said members in relatively fixed relation to'each other, and hand-holds applied to said members said hand-holds being connected to extensions of said knee-receiving members.

2. A device of the character described, in cluding kneereceiving members, slotted and bolt engaged extensions formed with said members, and hand-holds connected to said members.

3. A device of the character described, comprising knee-receiving members, means connecting the same together, and hand] holds, each having a shank-portion outstanding therefrom, said shankportion itself having a right angled extension, said shank portion being passed through an end-extension of a knee-receiving member, and one arm of the angle of said shank-portion extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said member and engaging said end-extension.

l. A device of the character described, comprising knee-receiving members, each formed of connected together metal straplike portions, curved oppositely from each other and flared laterally and downwardly, means efl'ecting connection between said members, and hand-holds applied to said knee-receiving members.

HENRY J. BARNES.

Witnesses J. F. BURNETT, lV. N. FISHER. 

